Save The VIP; What About The Common Man?

Last one week, helicopter, chopper, commandos, satellite were the frequently used terms in the news. All the efforts made while finding Andhra Pradesh’s CM YSR, by our officials, commandos and police force is really appreciable. But somewhere I am not feeling very good at heart (and logically) to see a big gap in the treatment given to a VVIP and a lot of people caught in a natural calamity.

I feel that our system really needs a lot of reforms wherein a common-man should also get similar treatment. It often happens that common people like you and myself do not get quick help or response by the rapid action force when a calamity occurs (I am not talking about world shaking calamities like Tsunami or Gujarat earthquake). India is a very good example of a democracy, then why such a flaw in system? Why can’t the ‘Praja’ and ‘Raja’ be of equal importance? And at the end whose money is it? Taxpayer’s money, my money, your money, our money.

(I should mention that I am not at all against whatever done as a part of search operation, I just suggested that similar measures must be taken for people of lesser national importance. I would also like to mention that the Indian Govt. has become more alert now in responding to such calamities, e.g. Bihar Floods)

Apart from anything else, four other lives were lost along with YSR’s. Nobody has paid the slightest attention to the sorry plight of their families. Whose decision was it to take the doomed flight into hostile terrain in miserable weather? Do the loved ones of the pilots, group captain S K Bhatia, captain M S Reddy and the relatives of YSR’s principal secretary S Subramanayam, plus his chief security officer A S C Wesley, have no right to question authorities, demand explanations? Or are their lives less valuable, somehow?

Watching the coverage across TV channels, it was distressing to note that the disaster was covered in such an insensitive and lop-sided manner. Granted, a VIP was killed and deserved extensive coverage – but to the exclusion of the others?

But going by the sms-es doing the rounds, here’s one that needs to be addressed in the spirit of fair and free enquiry – “Billed as ‘India’s biggest ever search’ 5,000 jawans, an ISRO remote-sensing aircraft, a Sukhoi, 14 search and rescue choppers, the forest department police, paramilitary forces, Chenchu tribal guides…. all mobilized within three short hours for a missing CM. Was the Central government sleeping during the 60 hours of Mumbai terror attacks on 26/11?”